Five citizens of Ingushetia accused of preparation of terrorist attack on the French Embassy in Moscow

Five citizens of Ingushetia accused of preparation of terrorist acts in the Republic and at the French Embassy in Moscow said in court that they had given false testimonies under torture, report Kavkazsky uzel and Kavkaz.Realiyi.

On January 22, during the trial in North Caucasus regional military court – when their term was being extended – Salamkhan Sampiev, Ruslan Esmurziev, Khusen Kitiev, Magomed Amatkhanov and Elbert Kharsiev refused to plead guilty and reported about torture.

“He was detained on… November 14, 2016. Since that moment, he had been subjected to electric shocks; they had been stripping him naked, throwing him into a basement. After the tortures, Kharsiev made a confession that he had allegedly set software for his brother and kept a grenade at home. The confessionary statements were made since the very beginning. Kharsiev denied them,” Kharsiev’s lawyer Yury Bondarev told.

In autumn, 2016, the Federal Security Service accounted for detention of 5 persons suspected of preparation of terrorist acts in the Republic of Ingushetia and Moscow. They were sent to a remand prison.

The investigation theory is that the accused were members of a terrorist cell founded by Zubayry Sautiev who returned from Syria and was murdered on November 7, 2016, when he engaged in armed resistance against security, defense and law enforcement chiefs.

Fire weapon, explosive devices, and ammunition were found during the searches. Their relatives stated the law enforcement officers had planted the ammunition during the searches.

According to the case card on the web site of the court, the detainees – depending on the importance of the role played by each participant – are accused under article 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (illicit possession), 222.1 (illegal keeping of explosives), 205.5 (contributing to terrorist activity), 208 ( organisation of an illegal armed formation, or participation in it), item 1 of article 30 and item 2 of article 205 (preparation of terrorist act).

Source: Crimea Russia